by DAN VOS Vos Energy Concepts I said earlier that wind was a form of solar energy, and I stand by that. Reread my past column if you need an explanation. The most economical way of capturing the wind for producing electricity is by using large towers with huge blades—as many as possible—called wind farms. […]

by DAN VOS Vos Energy Concepts Today we talk about the exotic form of solar energy—the one that techies drool over. The one that gives people that far away look in their eyes, as if they are in the Mars Rover or the space station or at the communication satellites that our phones and iPads […]

Solar hot water collection by DAN VOS Vos Energy Concepts This week we are writing about solar hot water collection. This is the most cost effective way of using the sun’s energy in our existing homes. Most people don’t realize that about 20 percent of your total annual heating bill is used to heat water. […]

by DAN VOS Vos Energy Concepts I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the three ways of using solar energy in our homes. The first way is using it to heat the air in our homes, which heats everything else in there as well. Passive solar is one of my favorite ways to use […]

Your home can’t take care of itself. Your monthly budget should include money for routine maintenance and repair for the house and yard. Plan to set money aside for the large, irregular expenses that occur normally as a house ages. Large expenses include interior and exterior painting, repairs or replacement of heating and air conditioning […]

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The Squire has been Rockford’s free weekly newspaper since 1871. Our loyal readership includes over fifteen thousand homes in the Rockford area, including the affluent Lakes area of Lake Bella Vista, Bostwick Lake and Silver Lake; Belmont, Blythefield, as well as Algoma, Courtland, Cannon and Plainfield Townships.Read More…